Peach Shortcake

Shortcake is one of those uniquely American desserts; a big, buttery biscuit floating on top of a cloud of whipped cream and lots of juicy, sweet, summer fruit. Sure, the components may be inspired from other places, but no one puts them together in a way that celebrates summer like we do.

One of the high points of my year is when peaches and nectarines are in abundance at the markets. As summer marches on, when prices are reasonable, I just can’t help buying a lot more than any one person would consider prudent. I just keep putting more and more in my bag at the market, until I can barely carry it home. And for the rest of the week, I scramble to use as many as I can while they’re dead-ripe and at their peak.

I’ve never made shortcakes in Paris and I don’t know why. But I’ve been meaning to for years, and it took me until this week to get my derrière in gear. First up, I had to explain what a “biscuit” was: in French, it often means a kind of spongecake, generally used as a component for layering. So I guess it’s not that much of a stretch to think about it as being layered haphazardly with fruit and whipped cream. (Although from the looks of the faces of my French dinner guests, I’m not sure I quite got the similarity across.)

Nevertheless, no matter where you’re from, who can resist loads of sliced peaches and fresh whipped cream, especially when drizzled with warm butterscotch sauce, which ties everything together so nicely?

Peach Shortcake
6 Servings

To make sure the shortcakes are flavorful and juicy, I make a coulis (a sauce made from raw fruit) of peaches, and let that macerate for at least an hour before serving. Then I use it to moisten and soak the bottom of the biscuits.

Peaches vary in size and sweetness, so feel free to make any adjustments depending on the fruits available to you. You can certainly add a handful of berries or a mixture of other summer fruits, including plums and nectarines. I sometimes use buttermilk in my biscuits, which makes a more tender biscuit, but many people prefer cream, which I use as well.

1. To make the biscuits, preheat the oven to 400ºF (200ºC). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

2. Sift the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar into a bowl. Using a pastry blender, cut in the butter until it’s in pieces the size of corn kernels. (You can also use a food processor or stand mixer with the paddle attachment.) Add the cream or buttermilk and mix until just blended.

3. On a lightly floured countertop, briefly knead the dough just until it comes together. Do not overwork the dough; it’s better to work it less and have rustic-looking biscuits than ones that are tough.

4. Roll the dough until it’s 3/4-inch (2 cm) thick and with a 3-inch (10 cm) biscuit cutter, cut out six individual biscuits, dipping the cutter in flour between cutting each biscuit. You can gather the scraps and re-roll to cut out a few more biscuits. Put the biscuits on the baking sheet. For the glaze, mix the egg yolks with the cream or milk.

5. Brush just the tops of the biscuits with the glaze and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until they’re browned on top and up the sides. Remove from oven and let cool.

6. Make the peach coulis by mixing the diced peaches with 2 tablespoons of sugar and kirsch, if using, with your hands, squeezing firmly the diced fruit to mash it up and help it release its juices. Let stand at least an hour.

7. Whip the cream until it begins to get stiff, then whip in the sugar and vanilla extract and continue to whip until it holds its shape.

8. Slice the peaches and toss them in a bowl with a sprinkling of sugar.

9. To assemble the shortcakes, cut each biscuit in half and place the bottoms on six plates. Divide the peach coulis amongst the biscuits, pressing it in a bit with a spoon to encourage the juices to saturate the biscuit. Add a few peach slices on top of each, then add a generous dollop of cream. Finish with the rest of the peach slices and top with the crown of the biscuit. Drizzle with warm butterscotch sauce.

89 comments

I just got a postcard from a Sacto area peach orchard advising me that the O’Henry peaches are ready. My favorites! Can’t wait to try this with the coulis. I love it when the juices soak into the shortcake. Slurp!

Scrumptuous dessert. Thanks for the recipe. Been eating tons of peaches, so I’m ripe for a twist on things. Hope the kitchen you’ve been waiting for is now ready, and was worth the wait. Any chance we’ll see some pics of it?

I’ve been posting updates and some pictures in my newsletter. I posted some shots on Twitter/Instagram, but there were a number of comments critical of materials I used, and design decisions I made. So I opted to put things in my newsletter for the time being. -dl

I just made blueberry shortcake…mmmmmmmm Cooked the blueberries for a while with lemon, sugar….that’s it. In fact, I think that’s your recipe…LOL..and I used RediWhip… Delichs.. I’m going for some right now…4:30 AM… Thanks Dave..

Summer peaches are my most favored fruit. My grandmother’s century old peach cobbler is my very favorite dessert. I believe this could come a close second! It looks delicious and I’m going to try it this weekend. I love the idea of the peach coulis for “soaking” the biscuits, but am wondering if I can purchase kirsch here in the States. Will be calling the liquor store when they open.

David, thank you for a wonderful blog and fascinating recipes. Also, your accompanying photos are almost good enough to eat by themselves!

Claire: You can get kirsch in the US, and a few brands are produced there as well. (I listed some at the end of the linked post.) It’s pricey, but a little goes a long way and one bottle will likely last for almost eternity. I find it really valuable for dialing up the taste of fresh fruit, especially summer stone fruits, like peaches and nectarines, as well as berries.

Samantha: I just mush them together and let them stand. As they sit, they will juice considerably. And I like the somewhat textured feel of the sauce, although it could certainly be pureed.

Lovely! Also appreciate your tip on baking powder. I made shortcakes recently (from Abby Dodge’s recipe) and they didn’t rise. My baking soda and powder (recipe called for both) were good according to their expiration dates, but I’m going to follow your tip on the baking powder to see if maybe it isn’t good after all. Any tip for checking baking soda?

Yum! The Lion’s Club makes a simpler version of this (no coulis and no butterscotch) at the Franklin County Fair in Greenfield, MA and I make it a point to have a bowl when I go up. After seeing this post I’m not sure I can wait till the fair.

Hi David – try mixing your cream this way: Use creme fraiche and beat in some lavender honey – the result is absolutely fab and very Provencal. Of course the creme fraiche must be freshly bought from a cheese shop or a cheese stand at the marche – never use the packeted stuff from the super-market. Sometimes I put in a very few lavender flower seeds but my husband says they look like mouse droppings!

Another great use for white peaches at this time of year is to make your own Bellinis – will beat anything that comes from a “Belini mix”. Whizz the peaches (without skin); add a little rose syrup; pour into glasses and top with champenois – the Italians use Proseco. Fabulous.

MMM. I gild the lily here with peach and strawberry shortcakes by dipping the raw biscuits into first melted butter and then granulated sugar (no sugar in the dough and a little less fat than usual). Then we have everybody at the table, forks in hand, when the biscuits come out of the oven. To serve: Place biscuit in bowl or on plate, spoon some sweetened fruit over it (you have to hear the sizzle of the cool juices hitting the hot biscuit!), and pour some cream over that. Eat as fast as you can — these do NOT improve with age. The juxtaposition of hot and cold, crackly sugar crust and tender biscuit — bliss.

Mmm…shortcake. I just made a peach & blueberry version last night. The ‘biscuit’ part was a buckwheat shortcake, ala Alice Medrich. So easy: no butter, just the flours & sugar, a pinch of salt, some baking powder, all held together with heavy cream. Sounds kind of dowdy and rustic, but it’s not. Never thought to put butterscotch on it, though. Pure genius, sir.

Hi David, What you have there is a scone. A shortcake is harder and thicker, like a thick sugar coated crumbly biscuit.
They are possibly one of the oldest ways of turning flour into something edible, so the provenence is likely to be murky.
Anyway, as they are so quick and easy to make they have diversified into both sweet and savoury. They are the basis of “cream teas” which crop up all over rural UK and wars have been started as to the correctness of putting the jam/fruit under or over the cream. Should you butter the scone beneath the filling? Should it be clotted cream or whipped? They are better – in my opinion – with dried fruit mixed in, raisins, sultanas, mixed fruit (citrus peel) , chopped date or fig, then of course you would just put lashings of butter on the split – not cut – halves.
If strong cheddar cheese is added to the mix then it becomes part of the savoury course, especially a picnic, where the possibility of single handedness is a huge boon.
What ever the nomenclature, thanks for your reminder, and timely too. The peaches and nectarines are just arriving here in a sufficiently ripe state to be worth buying.

Scone in the UK, shortcake in the United States when served with fruit and in that shape. You don’t get many scones here in the UK made with cream or buttermilk though. But they are served with cream, of course. USA scones are usually made in a round shape and cut into wedges. They commonly contain dried fruit that isn’t sultanas. And, surely you are referring to shortbread when you say shortcake – as in a shortbread biscuit, made with butter.

Too late! I used my first batch of butterscotch sauce on some barely sweet bread pudding. Heavenly.

We’ll have to wait a few days for peach shortcake at our house. Maybe cobbler next time? Thanks for all these inspiring summer dessert ideas. Before you know it, Italian prunes will appear in the market, and it will be time for Marian Burros’ famous tart.

I have often heard of shortcake, but never known what it was – here, there is “shortbread” of course (mmmm, shortbread!), but “shortcake” is unknown. We might make a sponge cake and layer it with strawberries or raspberries and cream, which is heaven, but it is not what you would call “strawberry shortcake”, I don’t think.

A pudding that is popular here, and rather like yours, but without the scone element is to peel and slice your peaches, cover them with cream or fromage blanc or Greek yoghurt and then top that with caramel (you can just blowtorch brown sugar, or do under a very hot grill until the sugar caramelises, or you can make caramel or butterscotch and pour it on the top). That is seriously good, too.

Incidentally peaches (and tomatoes) peel much easier if you pour boiling water over them and let stand for 30 seconds-1 minute, no more. But you knew that (it was just in case any of your readers didn’t).

I usually explain “biscuit” to non-American friends as a lighter, flakier, savory version of a scone. My British friends often like the sound of strawberry shortcake after that!

At my local store, we’ve been getting lots of “saucer peaches.” I tasted one and I don’t think I ever will go back to typical peaches. They’re so sweet and juicy, even when they’re not quite ripe, and I think they’d be perfect in a shortcake.

I think it’s about time those compadres of yours learned a thing or two. I still don’t understand why you are reluctant to make American Comfort foods. I am sure Parisiennes have theirs. Honey, you are a Rock Star in the US, time to let them know it, just don’t tell them I told you to do it….lol

I’ve been looking at biscuit recipes for a while, figuring most were off, but now here’s one I can trust. No one should assume biscuits are easy – I’ve had far too many dry, crumbly, over-salted ones. And I have nectarines cut up in the ‘fridge. Thanks, David (and I promise I will only compliment your kitchen pictures when you’re ready to show – I know you have great taste).

This is a timely blog post. I just bought a bunch of peaches from the farmers market, they are especially sweet this year because of the drought here in Illinois this summer, now I know what I am going to do with them.

Just so you know I am going to be disappointing many customers this Friday by skipping the peach cobbler and totally making this instead. They are going to die of happiness, we already told them.
One of this days you must visit us and we will feed you some good homemade BBQ! Mac and cheese, ribs, peach cobbler and all.
P.S
Love your blog!

I think of this as a scone. I also think of this as delicious.
What’s in a name, it’s all about flavour and savouring. Mmm rushing off to make some and as it’s peach season here in Shanghai it will never taste as sweet.

jacqui, Nick, Oonagh, KG + Steve: Yes, shortcakes are similar to superb scones that folks enjoy in the UK. However what’s known as a scone in the US, is more of a rich, crumbly biscuit loaded with nuts, dried fruits, or what-have-you.

Susan: French friends do like when I make American food here, it’s just that for so long, the only versions they had of a lot of American foods were fast-food versions (ie: the difference between a McDonald’s hamburger and an excellent burger made with freshly ground meat on a real bun, is phenomenal.) So it’s always nice to share things that we do well, rather than commercialized versions. Next up – chicken pot pie? : )

The past two weeks I’ve been overbuying the peaches in Paris myself, but I’ve been making them into crumbles. Peeling and slicing the peaches and placing them in a buttered pie pan, then covering them in a fine grating of nutmeg, and finally throwing on a melange of well-blended 1 cup flour-3/4 cup brown sugar-1/2 cup butter-1 cup chopped pecan, and letting it bake at 190 C for 45 minutes. yummy.

Vive la différence David! Stawberry Shortcake what? NO! Peach! First – I’m crushing on your blog in a huge way…Natasha here…Canadian, and former California girl – hello. There are no words for me as I read…le sigh…
I was in Paris in 2009…and – as many others…never wanted to leave. Question – have you ever eaten at Les Deux Magots?…I didn’t see it on your list. They make a mean Carpaccio.
Well -…thank you a thousand times David.
– Natasha

Shortcake is an American thing. Goes way back. Similar to a scone, but different. For one thing if carefully cut, like a good biscuit, its sides are not sealed so it rises evenly all around. Some make them in layers, stacking two biscuits with a smear of butter between, so that they separate perfectly.

We are having extraordinarily good peaches this year – they appear to have been picked closer to ripeness so their stem ends are yellow with no green. Very juicy, very fragrant, very delicious. And the prices indicate there is a bumper crop.

Thanks for your timely recipe! I’ve used brown sugar on peaches and was thinking “caramel sauce” before I even read your post!

I know what I’m fixing this weekend! your shortcake is a lot like mine, but I add a couple of hard-boiled egg yolks along with the butter. I picked that up years ago, I believe it’s a Beard trick. Really makes them tender and to my taste richer.

Delighted to see that those are actual biscuits sitting there. A real shortcake requires real American biscuits–though even some Americans are slapping down a piece of cake and calling it shortcake these days. This really doesn’t work, because cake gets soggy and falls apart–the biscuit, of course, just sucks up all the fruit and berry juices-yum! Thanks for doing it right–looks great.

Perfect post considering the state of Utah trees right now… I’m paying family a visit and found myself flung in the midst of WHAT DO WE DO WITH ALL THESE PEACHES? We’ve been making peach butter the last few days and I literally made myself sick by sneaking too many tastes of the simmering mess in the crock pot.

There seems to be no end in sight. I promise that this recipe a try.

(Also: thank you for the aluminum-free trackback regarding baking soda. I’ve always been a sort of leavening dunce, and I left much wiser.)

This dish looks so mouthwatering delicious!!!
It is the sort of dessert my nan would make us when we visited her for dinner.

I have just finished reading your book “The Sweet Life in Paris” and have reviewed it on my website. I have also made your delicious dulce de leche brownies. They were amazing! …they didn’t last the three days that you said they would though (they had all been eaten before the 24 hour mark).

Thank you for sharing this gorgeous recipe. I hope you don’t mind me repeating it on my website. Naturally I have given you all credit :)

Peach being my very favorite fruit, this will be my next project …. quick question …. parchment paper or silicone mat ? I’m thinking sil mat is cheaper in the long run and less wasteful but I always seem to cringe @ putting down about $30 for it ( I prefer the word frugal ),
Thanks

I am an undying fan of biscuits and seek them out on my visits to Georgia, unfortunately, my French mother will not look at them. Despite her attiude, I may venture into this terroire (did I just coin this?) and give it a whirl when peaches are at their seasonal best.
Merci.

Hi morning David, I baked this shortcakes, it rised nicely and so delicious, this is one of my daughter favorite, she is back from UK, I did try many recipes but this is one the best my girl said, I replace it by using yogurt, the step is easy to follow, thank you very much, my girl want to learn to bake this cakes.
Have a nice day!

I made the biscuit recipe this weekend as my contribution to a dinner party’s strawberry shortcake finish, and these were hands down the best biscuits I have ever made. I usually use a tried and true Martha Stewart recipe for shortcake biscuits, but I thought I would give these a shot. I am so glad I did! Perfect buttery layers of biscuit. It was so good, I was eating some of the dough, embarassingly enough.

The only thing I changed was using an egg white with cream on the tops since I was out of whole eggs and then sprinkling all of the tops with turbinado. It gave them a nice crunchy top that was a perfectly sweet accompaniment to the strawberries.

Loved the look of the “peach shortcake” which is totally unlike any shortcake here in NZ, but can’t wait for summer to try it, One of the joys of cooking is trying other people’s take on things. Your “biscuits” look suspiciously like what we call scones usually served buttered or with jam and cream but why not with summer fruit and whipped cream. Many thanks